Terrible weather, terrible match, terrible result

Everton may have lost by higher margins in other matches this season, but this may take the cake for worst match that I’ve watched this year. At least when Everton have lost to top-six teams, there is the benefit of watching one side play solid football. But in this match, Everton and Crystal Palace were locked in a duel to “out-bad” each other.

Were it not for a very lucky and very soft penalty call in the first half, Everton may very well have left a match against the worst team in the Premier League with no points.

It’s honestly amazing how quickly this match descended into madness. David Unsworth put out a competent and balanced line-up with actual wingers and Gylfi Sigurdsson in central midfield. But even Unsworth’s well-intentioned lineup could not save Everton from themselves. This was a sloppy match across the board and has to be the least entertaining four-goal game I can remember watching.

Everton’s defense regresses at an alarming rate

This team’s defense has been bad all season. That is something everyone can agree on. But somehow, even after a restful international break, the defense has gotten even worse. Jonjoe Kenny, for all his offensive positives, looked lost countless times in defense. And Michael Keane’s timing was absolutely dreadful when the ball was on the ground and in the air.

Palace may have their fair share of pacey, skilled attackers. But that is no excuse for letting a team that has scored six goals this season to put up a goal in the first 30 seconds of a match. As this match progressed, the defense was more reminiscent of a Three Stooges short than a professional football team. Defensive organization under David Unsworth has me nostalgic for Ronald Koeman and even Roberto Martinez.

Is it January yet?

We all know this team is going to over-pay for many players when the transfer window opens in January. It remains to be seen if any of the players Everton bring in can turn this season around. That is a point that can be debated at a later time, but I’m looking forward to the transfer window for the sole purpose of not having to watch this collection of players muddle their way around the pitch.

At least in past season there was a player or two that could be singled out as the reason for a disappointing performance. But somehow this team has made me turn on players I’ve previously been fond of. There is just incompetence from the top down and they leave me wondering how this team even made it close to the top six last year.

This may be a bleak outlook following a draw, but if Everton cannot get three points from Crystal Palace, I don’t know how they’ll get three points from any other team.